[PHILOS-L] Final CFA: Doing Democracy Differently? Democratic Innovation in an Age of Backsliding, MANCEPT Workshops 2nd-4th Sept 2026

[Sutherland, Jessica]

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MANCEPT Workshops, University of Manchester 2nd-4th September 2026

Doing Democracy Differently? Democratic Innovation in an Age of Backsliding

The current global political landscape is characterised by democratic backsliding, the erosion of trust and institutional failures. This panel will explore how democracy can be reimagined, restructured or practiced in new ways in the face of these challenges. Moving beyond accounts and diagnoses of democratic decline, this panel invites discussions around democratic innovation – both institutional and grassroots – that have the potential to expand participation, (re)distribute power, and protect and progress democratic values.

When thinking about democratic innovation, it is often deliberative processes like citizens’ assemblies that have become the overarching framework (Smith, 2019). However, the field is of course much broader and, as Mike Saward (2021) has noted, is and should move away from purely deliberative systems and focus on democratic innovation, not just deliberative innovation.

This panel therefore invites discussion of various forms of innovation that aim to increase participation; enhance deliberation, inclusion and equity; strengthen (institutional) accountability; and create meaningful changes in the ways we practice democracy.

The panel seeks to critically engage with the tensions inherent in democratic innovation, for example around scale, legitimacy, distribution of power, and the relationship between our existing institutions and innovation, to explore how democratic innovation can help us to respond to our contemporary crises in democracy.

Contributions to this panel may focus on but are not limited to:

• Innovative participatory and deliberative mechanisms including citizen assemblies and mini publics
• The potential role of digital and/or AI in democratic innovation
• Civic led practice
• Approaches to direct democracy
• New forms of representation
• Forms of resistance and adaptation
• Sustainable innovation
• Overcoming democratic short-termism

Abstract submissions of up to 500 words for a presentation suitable for a 30-minute presentation and 25-minute friendly Q and A (55 minutes total) are welcome. Please email these to jessica.s...@warwick.ac.uk as an anonymised attachment with ‘MANCEPT 26 Submission’ as the subject line.

The deadline for submission is Friday 8th May. You will be notified of the outcome by Friday 15th May. All MANCEPT workshops in 2026 will take place in-person only. This panel will not be pre-read so please do feel free to submit work-in-progress ideas.

Please note that registration, travel and accommodation fees must be covered by speakers themselves. MANCEPT also offers a bursary scheme to cover speakers’ registration fees and participants are encouraged to apply for these if needed. Information on current registration fees and the bursary scheme will be available on the MANCEPT website 

https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/activities/mancept-workshops-2026/

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at jessica.s...@warwick.ac.uk

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